PROF. A. HOWELL AND PROF. R. ADDO-FENNING EDUCATES GHANAIANS ON THE HISTORIC CONNECTION BETWEEN BASEL MISSIONARY WORK AND THE COCOA INDUSTRY IN GHANA TODAY.
Prof. R. Addo-Fenning at a two day conference organized on Christian Mission, Cocoa and Socio- Economic, Political and Religious Change in Ghana by his colleague Prof. A. Howell at Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture at Akropong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana on the 20th and 21st of October, 2015, explained to Ghanaians the great historic impact of the entry of the Basel Missionaries to the Gold Coast for the cocoa industry, in his key note address delivered at the conference.
In Prof. Addo-Fenning’s explanation of the history, he noted that, from the outset of the entry of the Basel Mission into the Gold Coast. they were not only concerned about teaching the world of God, but they aimed to teach people skills as an integral way to improve people’s lives. One area of interest that began to develop among the missionaries was related to cocoa. Cocoa according to the seasoned Professor was originally brought to the Gold Coast from Brazil. One Basel Missionary called Rev. Mohr and other missionaries were involved with agriculture and cultivated gardens with cocoa during the 1850s. Tetteh Quashie who was an apprentice at the Basel mission workshop in Akropong returned from Fernando Po on a visit with cocoa beans and begun commercial farming of cocoa in the 1880s, under the then colonial government which expanded very rapidly.
The Basel missionaries continued to have both a direct and indirect influence in the growing cocoa. He said many of the original cocoa farmers were Christians as they play a major role in the growth of the economy. By 1930s the cocoa farming outnumbered the Akyem community and embraced all young men irrespective of ethnicity.
Many early Christians were cocoa farmers who used money from the cocoa farming to send their children to school. These children became Lawyers, civil servants, bankers, educationist, pastors, doctors, economist, and worked in the cocoa industry itself.
Prof. Addo- fenning added that at independence, Ghana was the largest producer of cocoa in the world. In a way cocoa was a blessing and its role and influence should be acknowledged. Thus the cocoa industry in the Gold Coast and later Ghana is not simply an agriculture issue. Cocoa production was linked to religion, Christian mission, education, economic, politics, social integration and nation-building.
In conclusion, Prof. Addo-Fenning acknowledged that if Government pay more attention to cocoa farmers, to make the industry more lucrative, the youth who do not want to farm cocoa will return to their forefathers “Gold Mines”
Many presenters also outline very important information with respect to their line of work. Some of these presenters were, Dr. Ruddolf K. Gaisie, Rev. Andrews Gyimah Boadi, Rev. Dr. James K. Walton, Dr. K Adum – kyeremeh, Mr. Francis Benyah, Prof. G. M. Bediako, mr. Paul Grant, Nana Opare Kwakye, Dr. (Mrs.) Asamoah, Mr. Leonard Opoku Agyemang, and Rev. Maxwell Darteh.
Notably among the presentations was, Nana Opare Kwakye presentation on how cocoa made farmers rich and empowered them to engage in polygamous marriages rendering the then Basel missionary leaders in frustration since those are not the ways of the Christian and Mr. Leonard Opoku Agyemang’s presentation on how his father was able to take good responsibility of twenty five children and three wives as well as serving as a vessel of God’s blessing to many even outside their ethnic divide.
Prof. A. Howell in her remarks mentioned that all presentations should be refined and presented to her whiles they work together towards having them published by December this year.
Source: Rite FM News
